Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, July 03, 2019: Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, in collaboration with relevant federal and local government entities and private organisations, hosted the first consultation workshop, as part of a study to develop guidelines for sustainable communities in the emirate.
In his opening speech, H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality Department clarified that a project team was nominated for the study within RAK Government, including RAK Municipality, the Landscape Agency, the Waste Management Agency, the Wastewater Agency, the Works Agency and the Environmental Protection and Development Agency. “In our project, we intend to incorporate input from stakeholders of relevant sectors including government, building owners, developers, operators, contractors and consultants, in order to take into account different perspectives and available best practices”, he said.
During the workshop, series of discussions took place, aiming to explore various approaches to developing and implementing guidelines for efficient communities in the emirate. Some of the participants contributed insights from other similar initiatives, while others brought to the fore a more local perspective of what would be useful and applicable in Ras Al Khaimah.
Earlier during the year, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality had launched Barjeel, the Green Building Regulations of Ras Al Khaimah, addressing new buildings with requirements for energy and water efficiency, renewable energy and other environmental measures. “Barjeel will bring to buildings which will consume at least 30% less energy and water than today’s construction standards in Ras Al Khaimah. However, there are aspects of energy and water efficiency, and more in general of sustainability, such as liveability and mobility, which cannot be addressed at the level of the individual building, and require a broader look at the public realm, such as landscaping, mobility and infrastructure in general. For this reason, we have started to consider the development of guidelines for efficient communities, which would work as a complement to Barjeel.” H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality Department added.
H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar thanked all the participating entities, highlighting the benefits of stakeholder collaboration in the development of efficient community guidelines. Other workshops and meetings are planned for the coming months to articulate and test various aspects of the study.
For further information, please send an email to: eer@mun.rak.ae
-END-About Ras Al Khaimah Municipality and Reem
Ras Al Khaimah Municipality was established in 1959 by an Emiri decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi and since then works on providing a comfortable environment in which people can live and work. The Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem) at Ras Al Khaimah Municipality coordinates the implementation of the RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040, established under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. The Strategy targets 30% energy savings, 20% water savings, and 20% generation from renewable energy sources by 2040.
